Melamine-based crosslinked polymer mannich product

ABSTRACT

Crosslinked polymers made up of polymerized units of cyclic diaminoalkane, aldehyde and bisphenol-S or melamine. A method for removing heavy metals, such as Pb(II) from an aqueous solution or an industrial wastewater sample with these crosslinked polymers is introduced. A process of synthesizing the crosslinked polymers is also described.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/563,943 filed Sep. 27, 2017, the entire contents ofwhich are herein incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT OF FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project was funded by King Abdulaziz City for Science andTechnology under project number AT-35-131 and King Fahd University ofPetroleum and Minerals.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURE BY THE INVENTORS

Aspects of this technology are described in an article “Lead ion removalby novel highly cross-linked Mannich based polymers” published inJournal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2017, 70,345-351, on Oct. 28, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to crosslinked polymers produced frompolycondensation reactions of a cyclic diaminoalkane, an aldehyde, and abisphenol-S compound or melamine, methods of preparing the crosslinkedpolymers, and a method of removing heavy metal ions, such as lead(II)from aqueous solutions by adsorbing the metal ions with the crosslinkedpolymers.

Description of the Related Art

The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventors, to the extent it is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description which may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neitherexpressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentinvention.

Wastewater containing toxic and non-biodegradable heavy metal ions suchas Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cr²⁺, Fe³⁺, Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺ discharged from industrialprocesses, e.g. mining, power generation, metal finishing, electronicdevice manufacturing and leather tanning has become an issue due to itspotential damage to human health and environment. Some heavy metals havea carcinogenic effect and no nutritional value to the human body.Therefore, regulations on removing or minimizing toxic heavy metals havebeen imposed worldwide. A sustainable and environment-friendly processis much needed for removal of such pollutants [Alsohaimi I H, Wabaidur SM, Kumar M, Khan M A, Alothman Z A, Abdalla M A. Synthesis,characterization of PMDA/TMSPEDA hybrid nano-composite and itsapplications as an adsorbent for the removal of bivalent heavy metalsions. Chem Eng J 2015; 270: 9-21; Dong Z, Zhang F, Wang D, Liu X, Jin J.Polydopamine-mediated surface-functionalization of graphene oxide forheavy metal ions removal. J Solid State Chem 2015; 224: 88-93; Kumari M,Tripathi B D. Efficiency of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia forheavy metal removal from wastewater. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2015; 112:80-86; and Wu Q, Cui Y, Li Q, Sun J. Effective removal of heavy metalsfrom industrial sludge with the aid of a biodegradable chelating ligandGLDA. J Hazard Mater 2015; 283: 748-754].

Lead metal is toxic, non-biodegradable and tends to bio-accumulate inliving systems even at trace levels. Lead causes severe damage to organssuch as kidney, brain, liver, reproductive and nervous systems [KangK-S. The cause of highly efficient lead removal with silica spheresmodifying the surface by a base catalyst. Ind Eng Chem Res 2012; 51(10):4101-4104; and Liu Y, Yan J, Yuan D, Li Q, Wu X. The study of leadremoval from aqueous solution using an electrochemical method with astainless steel net electrode coated with single wall carbon nanotubes.Chem Eng J 2013; 218: 81-88]. Lead-based paint in older buildings islisted as a primary source of lead poisoning in drinking water [Mielke HW, Reagan P L. Soil is an important pathway of human lead exposure.Environ Health Perspect 1998; 106(Suppl 1): 217-29; and Sanbom M D,Abelsohn A, Campbell M, Weir E. Identifying and managing adverseenvironmental health effects: 3. Lead exposure. CMAJ Can Med Assoc J2002; 166(10): 1287-92]. Lead concentrations in drinking water should bebelow 10 parts per billion (ppb) according to world health organization(WHO). US environmental protection agency (EPA) has set a goal to reachzero contamination of lead in drinking water in the drinking waterstandards and health advisories [United state environmental protectionagency (EPA). Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories.Washington, D.C.: Office of Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;2012; and World health organization (WHO). Guidelines for drinking-waterquality. 3rd ed. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2006].To achieve this goal, technologies including precipitation, coagulation,reverse osmosis, ion exchange, solvent extraction, flotation, andmembrane separation have been developed to remove lead from wastewaters.Due to its high efficiency and low cost of operation, adsorption isconsidered a superior method for wastewater treatment [Celik A, DemirbasA. Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions via adsorptiononto modified lignin from pulping wastes. Energy Sour 2005; 27(12):1167-77; Dabrowski A. Adsorption—From theory to practice. Adv ColloidInterface Sci 2001; 93(1-3): 135-224; and Rozada F, Otero M, Morán A,García A I. Adsorption of heavy metals onto sewage sludge-derivedmaterials. Bioresour Technol 2008; 99(14): 6332-8, each incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety]. However, more efficientadsorbing materials for selective heavy metal removal in aqueoussolutions are required to facilitate lead elimination in drinking waterand other water systems.

In view of the forgoing, one objective of the present disclosure is tointroduce crosslinked polymers produced from a polycondensation reactionof a cyclic diaminoalkane, an aldehyde, and a bisphenol-S compound ormelamine. Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide amethod for removing heavy metals, such as Pb(II) ions from an aqueoussolution by employing the crosslinked polymers.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to acrosslinked polymer, comprising reacted units of a first monomer offormula (I)

or a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, a stereoisomer thereof, or amixture thereof, a second monomer, which is at least one selected fromthe group consisting of melamine and a bisphenol-S compound representedby formula (II)

or a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, a tautomer thereof, a stereoisomerthereof, or a mixture thereof, and an aldehyde of formula (III)

or a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, a stereoisomer thereof, or amixture thereof wherein (i) R¹, R², R³, and R⁴ are independentlyselected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, an optionallysubstituted alkyl, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, an optionallysubstituted arylalkyl, and an optionally substituted aryl, (ii) R⁵, R⁶,R⁷, and R⁸ are independently selected from the group consisting of ahydrogen, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionally substitutedcycloalkyl, an optionally substituted arylalkyl, an optionallysubstituted alkoxy, and a halogen, (iii) R⁹ is selected from the groupconsisting of a hydrogen, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionallysubstituted cycloalkyl, an optionally substituted arylalkyl, and anoptionally substituted aryl, and (iv) m and n are independently selectedfrom 2 and 3.

In one embodiment, the second monomer is melamine, the molar ratio ofthe first monomer to melamine is in the range of 1.5:1 to 5:1, and themolar ratio of the aldehyde to melamine is in the range of 2:1 to 10:1.

In one embodiment, the second monomer is a bisphenol-S compoundrepresented by formula (II), the molar ratio of the first monomer to thebisphenol-S compound is in the range of 1.2:1 to 4:1, and the molarratio of the aldehyde to the bisphenol-S compound is in the range of 2:1to 6:1.

In one embodiment, m and n are 2.

In one embodiment, the first monomer of formula (I) is piperazine.

In one embodiment, the second monomer is bisphenol-S.

In one embodiment, the aldehyde of formula (III) is formaldehyde.

In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer has a BET surface area in therange of 10-80 m²/g.

In one embodiment, wherein the second monomer is melamine, thecrosslinked polymer exhibits a semi-crystalline structure.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a methodfor removing a heavy metal from an aqueous solution, comprising (i)contacting the aqueous solution having an initial concentration of theheavy metal with the crosslinked polymer of claim 1 to form a mixture,and (ii) filtering the mixture to obtain an aqueous solution having areduced concentration of the heavy metal compared to the initialconcentration.

In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer has an average particle sizeof 1-10 μm in diameter.

In one embodiment, the heavy metal is an ion of at least one heavy metalselected from the group consisting of Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn,and Cr.

In one embodiment, the heavy metal is Pb(II).

In one embodiment, the aqueous solution has a pH in the range of 1 to 7.

In one embodiment, the initial concentration of the heavy metal in theaqueous solution ranges from 0.1 mg L⁻¹ to 50 mg L⁻¹.

In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer is present at a concentrationin the range of 0.1-10 g per liter of the aqueous solution during thecontacting.

In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer is contacted with the aqueoussolution for 0.1-12 hours.

In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer is contacted with the aqueoussolution at a temperature in the range of 10° C. to 80° C.

In one embodiment, greater than 40% of a total mass of the heavy metalis removed from the aqueous solution.

In one embodiment, the first monomer is piperazine, the second monomeris bisphenol S, and the aldehyde is formaldehyde, the aqueous solutioncomprises Pb(II) and at least one additional heavy metal ion, which isan ion of at least one heavy metal selected from the group consisting ofCd, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, and Cr, and greater than 95% of a total massof Pb(II) is removed from the aqueous solution.

The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of generalintroduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the followingclaims. The described embodiments, together with further advantages,will be best understood by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 are synthetic processes to form crosslinked polymer BSPF, whereinthe first and second monomer are piperazine and bisphenol-S,respectively, and the aldehyde is formaldehyde, and crosslinked polymerMPF, wherein the first and second monomer are piperazine and melamine,respectively, and the aldehyde is formaldehyde.

FIG. 2 is an overlay of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra ofthe crosslinked polymers BSPF and MPF.

FIG. 3 is an overlay of solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³CNMR) spectra of the crosslinked polymers BSPF and MPF.

FIG. 4 is an overlay of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of thecrosslinked polymers BSPF and MPF.

FIG. 5 is an overlay of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)thermograms of the crosslinked polymers BSPF and MPF, in which T_(g)denotes glass transition temperature and T_(Decomp) indicatesdecomposition temperature.

FIG. 6 is an overlay of BET N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms of thecrosslinked polymers BSPF and MPF at 77 K.

FIG. 7 is an overlay of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of thecrosslinked polymers BSPF and MPF.

FIG. 8A is a scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-rayspectroscopy (SEM-EDX) elemental analysis of the crosslinked polymerBSPF.

FIG. 8B is a SEM-EDX elemental analysis of the crosslinked polymer BSPFafter its adsorption of Pb(II).

FIG. 9A is a SEM-EDX micrograph image of the crosslinked polymer BSPF.

FIG. 9B is a SEM-EDX micrograph image of the crosslinked polymer BSPFafter its adsorption of Pb(II).

FIG. 10 is a response surface plot demonstrating the effect oftemperature and dosage of the crosslinked polymer, as well as theircombined impact on the removal of Pb(II).

FIG. 11A summarizes main effects including polymer identity (0=MPF and1=BSPF), pH of the aqueous solution, initial concentration of lead ionin the aqueous solution, and temperature on lead ion adsorptionefficiency of the crosslinked polymer.

FIG. 11B depicts a Pareto chart of the standardized effect derived fromthe factorial design experiment.

FIG. 11C depicts a normal plot of the standardized effect derived fromthe factorial design experiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some,but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The presentdisclosure will be better understood with reference to the followingdefinitions.

Unless otherwise specified, “a” or “an” means “one or more”. Within thedescription of this disclosure, where a numerical limit or range isstated, the endpoints are included unless stated otherwise. Also, allvalues and subranges within a numerical limit or range are specificallyincluded as if explicitly written out.

As used herein, the term “compound” refers to a chemical entity, whetherin a solid, liquid or gaseous phase, and whether in a crude mixture orpurified and isolated.

As used herein, the term “solvate” refers to a physical association of acompound of this disclosure with one or more solvent molecules, whetherorganic or inorganic. This physical association includes hydrogenbonding. In certain instances, the solvate will be capable of isolation,for example when one or more solvent molecules are incorporated in thecrystal lattice of the crystalline solid. The solvent molecules in thesolvate may be present in a regular arrangement and/or a non-orderedarrangement. The solvate may comprise either a stoichiometric ornonstoichiometric amount of the solvent molecules. Solvate encompassesboth solution phase and isolable solvates. Exemplary solvents include,but are not limited to, water, methanol, ethanol, n-propanol,isopropanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, tert-butanol, ethyl acetate andother lower alkanols, glycerine, acetone, dichloromethane (DCM),dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl acetate (DMA), dimethylformamide(DMF), isopropyl ether, acetonitrile, toluene, N-methylpyrrolidone(NMP), tetrahydrofuran (THF), tetrahydropyran, other cyclic mono-, di-and tri-ethers, polyalkylene glycols (e.g. polyethylene glycol,polypropylene glycol, propylene glycol), and mixtures thereof insuitable proportions. Exemplary solvates include, but are not limitedto, hydrates, ethanolates, methanolates, isopropanolates and mixturesthereof. Methods of solvation are generally known to those skilled inthe art.

As used herein, the term “tautomer” refers to constitutional isomers oforganic compounds that readily convert by tautomerization ortautomerism. The interconversion commonly results in the formalmigration of a hydrogen atom or proton, accompanied by a switch of asingle bond and adjacent double bond. Tautomerism is a special case ofstructural isomerism, and because of the rapid interconversion,tautomers are generally considered to be the same chemical compound. Insolutions in which tautomerization is possible, a chemical equilibriumof the tautomers will be reached. The exact ratio of the tautomersdepends on several factors including, but not limited to, temperature,solvent and pH. Exemplary common tautomeric pairs include, but are notlimited to, ketone and enol, enamine and imine, ketene and ynol, nitrosoand oxime, amide and imidic acid, lactam and lactim (an amide and imidictautomerism in heterocyclic rings), and open-chain and cyclic forms ofan acetal or hemiacetal (e.g., in reducing sugars).

As used herein, the term “stereoisomer” refers to isomeric moleculesthat have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (i.e.constitution), but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of theiratoms in space. This contrasts with structural isomers, which share thesame molecular formula, but the bond connection of their order differs.By definition, molecules that are stereoisomers of each other representthe same structural isomer. Enantiomers are two stereoisomers that arerelated to each other by reflection, they are non-superimposable mirrorimages. Every stereogenic center in one has the opposite configurationin the other. Two compounds that are enantiomers of each other have thesame physical properties, except for the direction in which they rotatepolarized light and how they interact with different optical isomers ofother compounds. Diastereomers are stereoisomers not related through areflection operation, they are not mirror images of each other. Theseinclude meso compounds, cis- and trans- (E- and Z-) isomers, andnon-enantiomeric optical isomers. Diastereomers seldom have the samephysical properties. In terms of the present disclosure, stereoisomersmay refer to enantiomers, diastereomers, or both.

Conformers, rotamers, or conformational isomerism refers to a form ofisomerism that describes the phenomenon of molecules with the samestructural formula but with different shapes due to rotations around oneor more bonds. Different conformations can have different energies, canusually interconvert, and are very rarely isolatable. There are somemolecules that can be isolated in several conformations. Atropisomersare stereoisomers resulting from hindered rotation about single bondswhere the steric strain barrier to rotation is high enough to allow forthe isolation of the conformers. In terms of the present disclosure,stereoisomers may refer to conformers, atropisomers, or both.

In terms of the present disclosure, stereoisomers of the double bonds,ring systems, stereogenic centers, and the like can all be present inthe compounds, and all such stable isomers are contemplated in thepresent disclosure. Cis- and trans- (or E- and Z-) stereoisomers of thecompounds of the present disclosure wherein rotation around the doublebond is restricted, keeping the substituents fixed relative to eachother, are described and may be isolated as a mixture of isomers or asseparated isomeric forms. S- and R- (or L- and D-) stereoisomers of thecompounds of the present disclosure are described and may be isolated asa mixture of isomers or as separated isomeric forms. All processes ormethods used to prepare compounds of the present disclosure andintermediates made therein are considered to be part of the presentdisclosure. When stereoisomeric products are prepared, they may beseparated by conventional methods, for example, by chromatography,fractional crystallization, or use of a chiral agent.

The present disclosure is further intended to include all isotopes ofatoms occurring in the present compounds. Isotopes include those atomshaving the same atomic number but different mass numbers. By way ofgeneral example, and without limitation, isotopes of hydrogen includedeuterium and tritium, isotopes of carbon include ¹³C and ¹⁴C, isotopesof nitrogen include ¹⁵N, isotopes of oxygen include ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O, andisotopes of sulfur include ³³S ¹⁴S and ³⁶S. Isotopically labeledcompounds of the disclosure can generally be prepared by conventionaltechniques known to those skilled in the art or by processes and methodsanalogous to those described herein, using an appropriate isotopicallylabeled reagent in place of the non-labeled reagent otherwise employed.

As used herein, the term “substituted” refers to at least one hydrogenatom that is replaced with a non-hydrogen group, provided that normalvalencies are maintained and that the substitution results in a stablecompound. When a substituent is noted as “optionally substituted”, thesubstituents are selected from the exemplary group including, but notlimited to, halo, hydroxyl, alkoxy, oxo, alkanoyl, aryloxy, alkanoyloxy,amino, alkylamino, arylamino, arylalkylamino, disubstituted amines (e.g.in which the two amino substituents are selected from the exemplarygroup including, but not limited to, alkyl, aryl or arylalkyl),alkanylamino, aroylamino, aralkanoylamino, substituted alkanoylamino,substituted arylamino, substituted aralkanoylamino, thiol, alkylthio,arylthio, arylalkylthio, alkylthiono, arylthiono, aryalkylthiono,alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, arylalkylsulfonyl, sulfonamide (e.g.—SO₂NH₂), substituted sulfonamide, nitro, cyano, carboxy, carbamyl (e.g.—CONH₂), substituted carbamyl (e.g. —CONHalkyl, —CONHaryl,—CONHarylalkyl or cases where there are two substituents on one nitrogenfrom alkyl, aryl, or alkylalkyl), alkoxycarbonyl, aryl, substitutedaryl, guanidine, heterocyclyl (e.g. indolyl, imidazoyl, furyl, thienyl,thiazolyl, pyrrolidyl, pyridyl, pyrimidiyl, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl,morpholinyl, piperazinyl, homopiperazinyl and the like), substitutedheterocyclyl and mixtures thereof and the like.

As used herein, the term “alkyl” unless otherwise specified refers toboth branched and straight chain saturated aliphatic primary, secondary,and/or tertiary hydrocarbons of typically C₁ to C₁₂, preferably C₂ toC₈, and specifically includes, but is not limited to, methyl,trifluoromethyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl,isobutyl, t-butyl, pentyl, isopentyl, neopentyl, hexyl, isohexyl,3-methylpentyl, 2,2-dimethylbutyl, and 2,3-dimethylbutyl.

As used herein, the term “cycloalkyl” refers to cyclized alkyl groups.Exemplary cycloalkyl groups include, but are not limited to,cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, norbomyl, andadamantyl. Branched cycloalkyl groups such as exemplary1-methylcyclopropyl and 2-methylcyclopropyl groups are included in thedefinition of cycloalkyl as used in the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term “aryl” unless otherwise specified refers tofunctional groups or substituents derived from an aromatic ringincluding, but not limited to, phenyl, biphenyl, napthyl, thienyl, andindolyl. As used herein, the term optionally includes both substitutedand unsubstituted moieties. Exemplary moieties with which the aryl groupcan be substituted may be selected from the group including, but notlimited to, hydroxyl, amino, alkylamino, arylamino, alkoxy, aryloxy,nitro, cyano, halide, sulfonic acid, sulfate, phosphonic acid, phosphateor phosphonate or mixtures thereof. The substituted moiety may be eitherprotected or unprotected as necessary, and as known to those skilled inthe art.

The term “arylalkyl”, as used herein, refers to a straight or branchedchain alkyl moiety having 1 to 8 carbon atoms that is substituted by anaryl group as defined herein, and includes, but is not limited to,benzyl, phenethyl, 2-methylbenzyl, 3-methylbenzyl, 4-methylbenzyl,2,4-dimethylbenzyl, 2-(4-ethylphenyl)ethyl, 3-(3-propylphenyl)propyl,and the like.

The term “alkoxy” refers to a straight or branched chain alkoxyincluding, but not limited to, methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, isopropoxy,butoxy, isobutoxy, secondary butoxy, tertiary butoxy, pentoxy,isopentoxy, hexyloxy, heptyloxy, octyloxy, nonyloxy, and decyloxy.

The term “halogen” means fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo.

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to acrosslinked polymer, comprising reacted units of a first monomer offormula (I)

or a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, a stereoisomer thereof, or amixture thereof, a second monomer, which is at least one selected fromthe group consisting of melamine and a bisphenol-S compound representedby formula (II)

or a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, a tautomer thereof, a stereoisomerthereof, or a mixture thereof, and an aldehyde of formula (III)

or a salt thereof, a solvate thereof, a stereoisomer thereof, or amixture thereof wherein (i) R¹, R², R³, and R⁴ are independentlyselected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, an optionallysubstituted alkyl, an optionally substituted cycloalkyl, an optionallysubstituted arylalkyl, and an optionally substituted aryl, (ii) R⁵, R⁶,R⁷, and R⁸ are independently selected from the group consisting of ahydrogen, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionally substitutedcycloalkyl, an optionally substituted arylalkyl, an optionallysubstituted alkoxy, and a halogen, (iii) R⁹ is selected from the groupconsisting of a hydrogen, an optionally substituted alkyl, an optionallysubstituted cycloalkyl, an optionally substituted arylalkyl, and anoptionally substituted aryl, and (iv) m and n are independently selectedfrom 2 and 3.

As used herein, monomers are molecules which can undergo polymerization,thereby contributing constitutional repeating units to the structures ofa macromolecule or polymer. The process by which monomers combine end toend to form a polymer is referred to herein as “polymerization”. Theterm “degree of polymerization” refers to the number of repeating unitsin a polymer. As used herein, a “copolymer” refers to a polymer derivedfrom more than one species of monomer and are obtained by“copolymerization” of more than one species of monomer. Copolymersobtained by copolymerization of two monomer and/or oligomer species maybe termed bipolymers, those obtained from three monomers may be termedterpolymers and those obtained from four monomers may be termedquarterpolymers, etc. As used herein, “crosslinking”, “cross-linking”,“crosslinked”, “cross-linked”, a “crosslink”, or a “cross-link” refersto polymers and resins containing branches that connect polymer chainsvia bonds that link one polymer chain to another. The crosslink may bean atom, a group of atoms, or a number of branch points connected bybonds, groups of atoms, or polymer chains. A crosslink may be formed bychemical reactions that are initiated by heat, pressure, radiation,change in pH, etc with the presence of at least one crosslinking monomerhaving more than two extension points, which is a monomer having morethan two reactive sites. In certain embodiments, the bisphenol-Scompound of formula (II) having four reactive sites (two ortho-positionsnext to the phenol group of each phenyl ring) functions as acrosslinking monomer, where each reactive position can act as anextension point and form a crosslink. In certain embodiments, themelamine having three reactive sites (three aniline groups) functions asa crosslinking monomer, where each aniline can act as an extension pointand form a crosslink.

A “polycondensation” refers to a form of step growth polymerizationwhere monomers join together by losing small molecules such as water ormethanol, preferably water, as byproducts. This is in contrast toaddition polymerizations which often involve reactions of unsaturatedmolecules. In one or more embodiment, the second monomer is melamine,and the crosslinked polymer disclosed herein is a polycondensationproduct of a three-component reaction of a first monomer of formula (I),melamine and an aldehyde of formula (III). In a preferred embodiment,the first monomer of formula (I) is present in a molar excess tomelamine. In one embodiment, the molar ratio of the first monomer tomelamine is in the range of 1.5:1 to 5:1, preferably 1.8:1 to 4.5:1,preferably 2:1 to 4:1, preferably 2.5:1 to 3.5:1, or about 3:1. In apreferred embodiment, the aldehyde of formula (III) is present in amolar excess to melamine. In one embodiment, the molar ratio of thealdehyde to melamine is in the range of 2:1 to 10:1, preferably 3:1 to9:1, preferably 4:1 to 8:1, preferably 5:1 to 7:1, or about 6:1.

As used herein, a Mannich-type reaction or a Mannich-typepolycondensation refers to a multi-component condensation of anonenolizable aldehyde (e.g. paraformaldehyde), a primary or secondaryamine or ammonia, and an enolizable compound such as a carbonyl, aphenol (Betti reaction), a nitrile, and an electron-rich heterocycle,e.g., furan, pyrrole, indole and thiophene. The Mannich-type reactionoften involves a two-step reaction: addition of the amine or ammonia tothe carbonyl carbon of the paraformaldehyde to form an electrophiliciminium ion, which is followed by attack of the electrophile by theenolizable compound. In one or more embodiments, the second monomer isthe bisphenol-S compound represented by formula (II), and thecrosslinked polymer disclosed herein is a polycondensation product via aMannich-type reaction of a first monomer of formula (I), a bisphenol-Scompound of formula (II), and an aldehyde of formula (III). In apreferred embodiment, the first monomer of formula (I) is present in amolar excess to the bisphenol-S compound of formula (II). In oneembodiment, the molar ratio of the first monomer to the bisphenol-Scompound is in the range of 1.2:1 to 4:1, preferably 1.4:1 to 3.5:1,preferably 1.6:1 to 3:1, preferably 1.8:1 to 2.5:1, or about 2:1. In apreferred embodiment, the aldehyde of formula (III) is present in amolar excess to the bisphenol-S compound of formula (II). In oneembodiment, the molar ratio of the aldehyde to the bisphenol-S compoundis in the range of 2:1 to 6:1, preferably 2.5:1 to 5.5:1, preferably 3:1to 5:1, preferably 3.5:1 to 4.5:1, or about 4:1.

In one or more embodiments, m=n. In some embodiments, m and n are 2. Ina preferred embodiment, the first monomer of formula (I) is piperazine

In some embodiments, m and n are 3. In a preferred embodiment, the firstmonomer of formula (I) is 1,5-diazocane

In some embodiments, m≠n. In a preferred embodiment, the first monomerof formula (I) is homopiperazine

In certain embodiments, the second monomer can be other bisphenolcompounds selected from the group consisting of2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-ethane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane,2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)diphenylmethane,bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2-dichlorethylene,1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, bis(4-hydroxydiphenyl)methane,1,3-bis(2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-propyl)benzene,5,5′-(1-methylethyliden)-bis[1,1′-(bisphenyl)-2-ol]propane,1,1-bis(4-hydroyphenyl)-3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexane, and1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-cyclohexane. Preferably the second monomer isbisphenol-S [bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfone].

In one or more embodiments, the aldehyde of formula (III) isformaldehyde. In a preferred embodiment, the crosslinked polymercomprises polycondensed units of bisphenol-S, piperazine, andformaldehyde (i.e., BSPF). In another preferred embodiment, thecrosslinked polymer comprises polycondensed units of melamine,piperazine, and formaldehyde (i.e., MPF).

In one embodiment, wherein the second monomer is melamine, the aldehydeof formula (III) is formaldehyde, and the first monomer is one or morecompounds of formula (I), and R¹, R², R³, R⁴ are a hydrogen, thecrosslinked polymer may be represented by formula (IV)

or a salt, solvate or stereoisomer thereof wherein each m (m₁, m₂, m₃)and each n (n₁, n₂, n₃) are independently selected from 2 and 3, each“*” represents an amino site of an additional melamine ring, and X is adegree of polymerization in the range of 2-10000. In certainembodiments, the crosslinked polymer of the present disclosure maycomprise different values of m, e.g. m₁=m₂≠m₃, or m₁≠m₂=m₃, or differentvalues of n, e.g. n₁=n₂≠n₃, or n₁≠n₂=n₃. In a preferred embodiment,m₁=m₂=m₃=2, and n₁=n₂=n₃=2. In certain embodiments, one or more of themelamine rings may not be fully substituted at all three aminopositions. For example, some melamine rings may only have two aminosites substituted, or one amino site substituted. Preferably, themelamine ring has all three amino sites substituted. In someembodiments, the crosslinked polymer comprises one or more1,3,5-triazinane moieties formed by a cyclic trimerization of threemelamine rings and three formaldehyde molecules [see FIG. 3 ].

In another embodiment, wherein the second monomer is bisphenol-S, thealdehyde of formula (III) is formaldehyde, and the first monomer is oneor more compounds of formula (I), and R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄ are a hydrogen, thecrosslinked polymer may be represented by formula (V)

or a salt, solvate or stereoisomer thereof wherein each m (m₄, m₅) andeach n (n₄, n₅) are independently selected from 2 and 3, and Y is adegree of polymerization in the range of 2-10000. In certainembodiments, the crosslinked polymer of the present disclosure maycomprise different values of m (m₄≠m₅), or different values of n(n₄≠n₅). In a preferred embodiment, m₄=m₅=2, and n₄=n₅=2. In certainembodiments, one or more of the bisphenol rings may not be fullysubstituted at all 2-, 2′-, 6-, 6′- (ortho-) positions. For example,some bisphenol rings may only have three ortho-positions substituted, ortwo ortho-positions substituted. Preferably, the bisphenol unit has allfour ortho-positions substituted.

In one or more embodiments, the degree of polymerization of thecrosslinked polymer of formula (IV) represented by X is a positiveinteger in the range of 2-10000, preferably 2-5000, preferably 2-2500,preferably 2-1000, preferably 2-500, preferably 2-400, preferably 3-300,preferably 4-275, preferably 5-250, preferably 10-200, preferably15-150, preferably 20-100, preferably 25-50. In one or more embodiments,the degree of polymerization of the crosslinked polymer of formula (V)represented by Y is a positive integer in the range of 2-10000,preferably 2-5000, preferably 2-2500, preferably 2-1000, preferably2-500, preferably 2-400, preferably 3-300, preferably 4-275, preferably5-250, preferably 10-200, preferably 15-150, preferably 20-100,preferably 25-50. It is equally envisaged that values for degree ofpolymerization may fall outside of these ranges and still providesuitable crosslinked polymers. In some embodiments, the crosslinkedpolymer of the present disclosure may have a wide molecular weightdistribution. In one embodiment, the crosslinked polymer of the presentdisclosure has a number average molecular weight of 1-200 kDa,preferably 10-150 kDa, preferably 20-100 kDa, preferably 30-75 kDa,preferably 40-65 kDa, preferably 45-55 kDa.

The present disclosure also relates to a method of producing acrosslinked polymer wherein the second monomer is a bisphenol-Scompound, comprising reacting a first monomer of formula (I) with abisphenol-S compound and an aldehyde of formula (III) at theaforementioned molar ratio to form the crosslinked polymer. In apreferred embodiment, reacting the first monomer with the bisphenol-Scompound and aldehyde to form the crosslinked polymer is performed in apolar aprotic solvent, preferably in dimethylformamide (DMF). Exemplarypolar aprotic solvents that may be used in addition to, or in lieu ofDMF include, but are not limited to, tetrahydrofuran, ethyl acetate,acetone, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, nitromethane, propylenecarbonate, and mixtures thereof. It is equally envisaged that thereaction may be adapted to be performed in a non-polar solvent such aspentane, cyclopentane, hexane, cyclohexane, benzene, toluene,1,4-dioxane, diethyl ether, and dichloromethane. In a preferredembodiment, the reaction is performed at a concentration of thebisphenol-S compound in the range of 0.01-10.0 M, preferably 0.05-5.0 M,preferably 0.1-2.0 M, preferably 0.2-1.0 M, preferably 0.4-0.6 M. In apreferred embodiment, the reaction is performed under mechanicalstirring, preferably a magnetic stirrer at a temperature of up to 115°C., preferably 20-110° C., preferably 40-105° C., preferably 60-100° C.,preferably 80-95° C., or about 90° C. and has a reaction time of up to48 hours, preferably 2-44 hours, preferably 8-38 hours, preferably 12-32hours, preferably 18-30 hours, or about 24 hours. In a preferredembodiment, the crosslinked polymer is collected as a solid that may beseparated (filtered off), soaked and washed in water and ethanol, andthen filtered and dried. In one embodiment, the solid may be dried undervacuum at 20-100° C., preferably 40-80° C., or about 65° C. until aconstant weight is achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction hasa product yield of at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, preferably atleast 65%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 75%, preferablyat least 80%. The product yield is calculated as (mass of product/totalmass of reactants)×100%.

The present disclosure further relates to a method of producing acrosslinked polymer wherein the second monomer is melamine, comprisingreacting a first monomer of formula (I) with melamine and an aldehyde offormula (III) at the aforementioned molar ratio to form the crosslinkedpolymer. In a preferred embodiment, reacting the first monomer with themelamine and aldehyde to form the crosslinked polymer is performed in apolar aprotic solvent, preferably in dimethylformamide (DMF).Aforementioned additional polar aprotic solvents and other non-polarsolvents may be used in addition to, or in lieu of DMF. In a preferredembodiment, the reaction is performed at a concentration of melamine inthe range of 0.01-10.0 M, preferably 0.05-5.0 M, preferably 0.1-2.0 M,preferably 0.2-1.0 M, preferably 0.3-0.5 M. In a preferred embodiment,the reaction is performed under mechanical stirring, preferably amagnetic stirrer at a temperature of up to 115° C., preferably 20-110°C., preferably 40-105° C., preferably 60-100° C., preferably 80-95° C.,or about 90° C. and has a reaction time of up to 48 hours, preferably2-44 hours, preferably 8-38 hours, preferably 12-32 hours, preferably18-30 hours, or about 24 hours. In a preferred embodiment, thecrosslinked polymer is collected as a solid that may be separated(filtered off), soaked and washed in acetone and ethanol, and thenfiltered and dried. In one embodiment, the solid may be dried undervacuum at 20-100° C., preferably 40-80° C., or about 65° C. until aconstant weight is achieved. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction hasa product yield of at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, preferably atleast 65%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 75%, preferablyat least 80%, preferably at least 85%. The product yield is calculatedas (mass of product/total mass of reactants)×100%.

The Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) theory (S. Brunauer, P.H. Emmett, E.Teller, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1938, 60, 309-319, incorporated herein byreference) aims to explain the physical adsorption of gas molecules on asolid surface and serves as the basis for an important analysistechnique for the measurement of a specific surface area of a material.Specific surface area is a property of solids which is the total surfacearea of a material per unit of mass, solid or bulk volume, or crosssectional area. In most embodiments, BET surface area is measured by gasadsorption analysis, preferably N₂ adsorption analysis. In a preferredembodiment, the crosslinked polymer of the present disclosure has a BETsurface area in the range of 10-80 m²/g, preferably 15-75 m²/g,preferably 20-70 m²/g, preferably 30-60 m²/g, preferably 40-58 m²/g,preferably 45-50 m²/g. In some embodiments, a crosslinked polymercomprising polycondensed units of bisphenol-S, piperazine, andformaldehyde (i.e., BSPF) has a larger BET surface area than acrosslinked polymer comprises polycondensed units of melamine,piperazine, and formaldehyde (i.e., MPF) by at least 50%-300%,100%-250%, or 150%-200%.

A polymer may be loosely described as crystalline if it contains regionsof three-dimensional ordering on atomic (rather than macromolecular)length scales, usually arising from intramolecular folding and/orstacking of adjacent chains. A degree of crystallinity may be expressedin terms of a weight fraction of volume fraction of crystallinematerial. The crystallinity of polymers may be characterized by theirdegree of crystallinity, ranging from zero for a completely amorphous(non-crystalline) polymer to one for a theoretical completelycrystalline polymer.

The crosslinked polymer described herein may contain both crystallineand amorphous regions. In one or more embodiments, wherein the secondmonomer is melamine, the crosslinked polymer exhibits a semi-crystallinestructure, which has a degree of crystallinity in the range of 0.1-0.8,preferably 0.2-0.6, preferably 0.3-0.5. In some embodiments, wherein thesecond monomer is bisphenol-S, the crosslinked polymer is amorphous.Methods for evaluating the degree of crystallinity include, but are notlimited to, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction(XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)spectroscopy. The distribution of crystalline and amorphous regions of apolymer may be further visualized with microscopic techniques, such aspolarized light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a methodfor removing a heavy metal from an aqueous solution, comprising (i)contacting the aqueous solution having an initial concentration of theheavy metal with the crosslinked polymer to form a mixture, and (ii)filtering the mixture to obtain an aqueous solution having a reducedconcentration of the heavy metal compared to the initial concentration.

Non-limiting examples of aqueous solutions (i.e. heavy metalcontaminated aqueous solutions), water sources and systems include, butare not limited to, surface water that collects on the ground or in astream, aquifer, river, lake, reservoir or ocean, ground water that isobtained by drilling wells, run-off, industrial water, public waterstorage towers, public recreational pools and/or bottled water. Methodsfor removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions according to thepresent disclosure include contacting the crosslinked polymer of thepresent disclosure in any of its embodiments with heavy metalcontaminated water sources and systems. The methods may be carried outin tanks, containers, or small scale applications in both batch mode andfixed-bed or column mode.

As used herein, a ligand refers to in inorganic chemistry an ion ormolecule (functional group) that coordinates a metal atom to form acoordination complex. The binding between metal and ligand generallyinvolves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs.The nature of the metal-ligand bonding can range from covalent to ionicand the metal-ligand bond order can range from one to three. Ligands areclassified in many ways including, but not limited to, size (bulk), theidentity of the coordinating atom(s), and the number of electronsdonated to the metal (i.e. denticity or hapticity). Denticity refers tothe number of times a ligand bonds to a metal through noncontiguousdonor sites. Many ligands are capable of binding metal ions throughmultiple sites, usually because the ligands have lone pairs on more thanone atom. A ligand that binds through one site is classified asmonodentate, a ligand that binds through two sites is classified asbidentate, three sites as tridentate, and more than one site aspolydentate. Ligands that bind via more than one atom are often termedchelating. Complexes of polydentate ligands are called chelatecomplexes. As used herein, chelation is a particular type of way ionsand molecules bind to metal ions. It involves the formation or presenceof two or more coordinate bonds between a polydentate (multiple bonded)ligand and a single central atom. These ligands are often organiccompounds and may be referred to as chelants, chelators, chelatingagents, or sequestering agents. The chelate effect describes theenhanced affinity of chelating ligands for a metal ion compared to theaffinity of a collection of similar non-chelating (i.e. monodentate)ligands for the same metal. In terms of the present disclosure, thecrosslinked polymer may adsorb or bind with one or more heavy metal ionsby coordinating the metal ion at a site, e.g., a —NH— moiety throughmonodentate coordination, or polydentate chelation including, but notlimited to bidentate chelation or tridentate chelation to the metal ionto form a heavy metal loaded crosslinked polymer.

The performance of an adsorbent material, polymers inclusive, is largelydependent on the type of functionality it carries. The presence ofchelating functionalities such as amine, thiol, carbonyl, hydroxyl, andphosphoryl moieties is known to enhance the performance of materialstowards the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Ingeneral, sulfur- and nitrogen-rich compounds exhibit a significantaffinity towards heavy metals. Recently, chelating agents containingaminomethylphosphonate moieties were found to have unique properties asexchange resins for selective metal ion complexation, and chelatingresins for heavy metal extraction from aqueous or fuel ethanolicsolutions [Ripperger K P, Alexandratos S D. Polymer-supportedphosphorus-containing ligands for selective metal ion complexation. In:Dabrowski A, editor. Studies in surface science and catalysis. Elsevier;1999. p. 473-95; Wang M, Xu L, Peng J, Zhai M, Li J, Wei G. Adsorptionand desorption of Sr(II) ions in the gels based on polysaccharidederivates. J Hazard Mater 2009; 171(1-3): 820-6; and Yamabe K, Ihara T,Jyo A. Metal ion selectivity of macroreticular chelating cation exchangeresins with phosphonic acid groups attached to phenyl groups of astyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer matrix. Sep Sci Technol 2001; 36(15):3511-28, each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety].Singru et al. reported the synthesis of a polymer resin using melamineand p-cresol in the presence of formaldehyde and its application inremoving heavy metals, e.g. Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ from contaminated water [Singru RN, Gurnule W B, Khati V A, Zade A B, Dontulwar J R. Eco-friendlyapplication of p-cresol-melamine-formaldehyde polymer resin as anion-exchanger and its electrical and thermal study. Desalination 2010;263(1-3): 200-10, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].Amino/polycarboxylic acid functionalized polymeric adsorbents thatchelate heavy metal ions can be used for treating wastewater [Repo E,Warchol J K, Bhatnagar A, Mudhoo A, Sillanpaa M. Aminopolycarboxylicacid functionalized adsorbents for heavy metals removal from water.Water Res 2013; 47(14): 4812-32; and Wang L, Yang L, Li Y, Zhang Y, MaX, Ye Z. Study on adsorption mechanism of Pb(II) and Cu(II) in aqueoussolution using PS-EDTA resin. Chem Eng J 2010; 163(3): 364-72, eachincorporated herein by reference in their entirety]. It was alsoreported that certain materials could be regenerated and recycled [HuangJ, Ye M, Qu Y, Chu L, Chen R, He Q, et al. Pb(II) removal from aqueousmedia by EDTA-modified mesoporous silica SBA-15. J Colloid Interface Sci2012; 385(1): 137-46, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].

In a preferred embodiment, a heavy metal has a density of greater than3.5 g/cm³ and/or an atomic weight of greater than 20. Exemplary metalions that can be adsorbed by the crosslinked polymer of the presentdisclosure are of a wide range and include, but are not limited to, ionsof Ag, Na, Pb, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Sn, Cd, Hg, Cr, Fe, As, Sb, Cr, Zn,V, Pt, Pd, Rh and mixtures thereof in various oxidation states such as+1, +2 and +3. Further, these metal ions may be of any oxidation stateM⁺¹, M⁺², M⁺³, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the heavy metal is an ionof at least one heavy metal selected from the group consisting of Pb,Cd, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, and Cr, most preferably the heavy metal isPb(II). It is equally envisaged that the crosslinked polymer may beadapted or chemically modified to adsorb, incorporate and/or bindadditional metal ions in addition to, or in lieu of Pb(II) and may bindselectively or collectively. In one embodiment, the additional metal ionmay be any ion which is suitably coordinated by the crosslinked polymerdisclosed herein in any of its embodiments. Exemplary additional metalions include, but are not limited to, ions of an alkali metal (Li, Na,K, etc.), an alkaline earth metal (Mg, Ca, Sr, etc.), a lanthanide metal(La, Ce, Eu, Yb, etc.), an actinide metal (Ac, Th, etc.), or apost-transition metal (Al, Sn, In, etc.). Preferably the additionalmetal ion is a transition metal ion, most preferably a heavy metal ion.

As used herein, adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or moleculesfrom a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface. The process createsa film of an adsorbate (i.e. heavy metal ions) on the surface of anadsorbent (i.e. the crosslinked polymer). This process differs fromabsorption, in which a fluid (the absorbate) permeates or is dissolvedby a liquid or solid (the absorbent). Adsorption is a surface-basedprocess while absorption involves the whole volume of the material. Theterm sorption encompasses both processes, while, desorption is thereverse of it. As used herein, chemisorption is a kind of adsorptionwhich involves a chemical reaction between the adsorbate and adsorbent.New chemical bonds are generated at the adsorbent surface. In contrastwith chemisorption is physisorption, which leaves the chemical speciesof the adsorbate and adsorbent intact and the electronic structure ofthe atom or molecule is barely perturbed upon adsorption. In terms ofthe present disclosure, the adsorption may be chemisorption,physisorption, or mixtures thereof. In at least one embodiment, theheavy metal ion is removed by physisorption with the crosslinked polymerof the current disclosure, meaning the process is primarily physical andpreferably no chemical changes occur on the crosslinked polymer or themetal ion.

In some embodiments, a resin of the crosslinked polymer described hereinis crushed to form particles of the crosslinked polymer beforecontacting the aqueous solution having an initial concentration of theheavy metal. The crushing process may be carried out by utilizing agrinding method, e.g. fluid energy milling, ball milling, wet milling,and cryogenic grinding. As used herein, a particle size refers to thelongest linear distance measured from one point on the particle thoughthe center of the particle to a point directly across from it. In one ormore embodiments, the crosslinked polymer has an average particle sizeof 1-10 μm in diameter, preferably 2-9 μm, preferably 3-8 μm, preferably4-7 μm, preferably 5-6 μm in diameter. Methods for analyzing adistribution of particle size include, but are not limited to, dynamiclight scattering (DLS), laser diffraction, ultrasonic attenuationspectroscopy, aerosol mass spectrometry, and sieve analysis. Theparticle size of a polymer may be further visualized with microscopictechniques, such as polarized light microscopy and scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM), and dynamic image analysis (DIA).

In one or more embodiments, the method for removing heavy metal iscarried out in an aqueous solution having a pH in the range of 1 to 7,preferably a pH in the range of 2 to 6, more preferably a pH in therange of 3 to 5.

In a preferred embodiment, the crosslinked polymer is effective inremoving heavy metal from aqueous samples wherein the initialconcentration of the heavy metal ion, preferably Pb(II), in the aqueoussolution is in the range of 0.01-100 mg L⁻¹, preferably 0.1-50 mg L⁻¹,preferably 1-40 mg L⁻¹, preferably 3-30 mg L⁻¹, preferably 5-20 mg L⁻¹,preferably 10-15 mg L⁻¹.

In one or more embodiments, the crosslinked polymer of the currentdisclosure is present in the aqueous solution at a concentration in therange of 0.1-25 grams per liter volume of the aqueous solution duringthe contacting, preferably 0.5-20.0 g L⁻¹, preferably 1.0-15.0 g L⁻¹,preferably 3.0-10.0 g L⁻¹, or about 1.5 grams per liter volume of theaqueous solution during the contacting.

In a preferred embodiment, the crosslinked polymer of the presentdisclosure is contacted with the aqueous solution for 0.1-12 hours,preferably 0.25-8 hours, preferably 0.5-6 hours, preferably 1-4 hours,preferably 2-3 hours.

In one or more embodiments, the crosslinked polymer of the presentdisclosure is effective in adsorbing heavy metal ions in an aqueoussolution within a temperature range of 10-90° C., preferably 20-80° C.,preferably 25-75° C., preferably 30-60° C. In a preferred embodiment,the method for removing heavy metal of the current disclosure is equallyeffective over the temperature ranging from 25° C. to 65° C.

In one or more embodiments, greater than 40% of a total mass of theheavy metal is removed from the aqueous solution at the end of theadsorption process following contacting, preferably greater than 45%,preferably greater than 50%, preferably greater than 60%, preferablygreater than 70%, preferably greater than 80%, preferably greater than90%, preferably greater than 92%, preferably greater than 94%,preferably greater than 96%, preferably greater than 97%, preferablygreater than 98%, preferably greater than 99% of a total mass of theheavy metal is removed from the aqueous solution at the end of theadsorption process following contacting.

In one or more embodiments, the adsorption of Pb(II) in an aqueoussolution increases by going from using a crosslinked polymer comprisingpolycondensed units of melamine, piperazine, and formaldehyde (i.e.,MPF) to one comprising polycondensed units of bisphenol-S, piperazine,and formaldehyde (i.e., BSPF). In a preferred embodiment, the firstmonomer is piperazine, the second monomer is bisphenol-S, and thealdehyde is formaldehyde, and the aqueous solution has Pb(II) and atleast one additional heavy metal ion, which is an ion of at least oneheavy metal selected from the group consisting of Cd, As, Zn, Cu, Ni,Co, Mn, and Cr, and greater than 95% of a total mass of Pb(II) isremoved from the aqueous solution, preferably greater than 96%,preferably greater than 97%, preferably greater than 98%, preferablygreater than 99%, preferably greater than 99.8% of a total mass ofPb(II) is removed from the aqueous solution.

Adsorption is a key mechanism of removing heavy metals in the presentdisclosure, which requires contact between the adsorbent material(crosslinked polymer) and the target adsorbate (heavy metal ions). Thereis generally an increase in the removal efficiency with increasingagitation speed until a certain level. In certain embodiments, themethod further comprises agitation of the aqueous solution before,during or after the contacting. The agitation may encompass shaking,stirring, rotating, vibrating, sonication and other means of increasingcontact between the crosslinked polymer of the current invention andheavy metal ions. Further, the agitation can be performed manually ormechanically. In one embodiment, the treatment and contacting processmay be enhanced by mechanical shaking or agitation, preferably by a bathshaker at a speed of up to 1000 rpm, preferably up to 750 rpm,preferably up to 500 rpm, preferably 50-450 rpm, preferably 75-375 rpm,preferably 100-300 rpm in order to increase contact between thecrosslinked polymer and heavy metal ions.

In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises recovering andreusing a heavy metal loaded crosslinked polymer after an around ofadsorption process. In certain embodiments, the heavy metal loadedcrosslinked polymer may be obtained from the aqueous solution withmethods including, but not limited to, filtration, centrifugation,evaporation, heated evaporation and the like, preferably filtration orcentrifugation, most preferably filtration. In certain embodiments, theobtained heavy metal loaded crosslinked polymer may be washed severaltimes with an appropriate solvent to remove all materials present aftereach round of heavy metal absorption before being regenerated and reusedand/or recycled in another round of removal of heavy metal ions from anaqueous solution.

The examples below are intended to further illustrate procedures forpreparing and characterizing the crosslinked polymers of the presentdisclosure, and assessing the method for heavy metal removal using thesecrosslinked polymers. They are not intended to limit the scope of theclaims.

Example 1 Materials and Equipment

Bisphenol-S (4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol), piperazine, melamine,paraformaldehyde, dimethylformamide (DMF) were used as received withoutpurification. Solvents and other chemicals used were of analyticalgrade. The wastewater was collected from Dammam second industrial zone(Saudi Arabia). Elemental analysis results were performed using aPerkin-Elmer Elemental Analyzer Series II Model 2400. DSC and TGA wereperformed on a NETZSCH Thermal Analyzer, models DSC 204 F1 Phoenix andTG 209 F1 Libra, respectively. FT-IR and NMR analysis were obtained byusing a Perkin Elmer 16F PC FT-IR and Bruker WB-400 spectrometers,respectively. SEM images were collected using a TESCAN LYRA 3 (CzechRepublic) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)detector model X-Max. X-ray analysis was performed on a Rigaku RintD/max—2500 diffractometer using Cu Kα radiation (wavelength=1.5418 A).Surface area was measured by a Micrometrics TriStar III BET surface areaanalyzer using Bumauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) N₂ method.

Example 2 Synthesis of Cross-Linked Polymers

BSPF and MPF cross-linked polymers were produced from Mannichpolycondensation reaction [Mannich C, Krosche W. Ueber einKondensationsprodukt aus Formaldehyd, Ammoniak und Antipyrin. Archiv derPharmazie 1912; 250: 647-67, incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety] as illustrated in FIG. 1 . The polycondensation reactions tookplace via an amino alkylation of an acidic proton on formaldehyde by aprimary or secondary amine. The condensation procedure of eachcross-linked polymer is presented here in details below. The procedurewas then evaluated by the calculation of the yield. Elemental analysiswas performed directly on the dried samples of each polymer.

(i) Synthesis of Bisphenol-S Paraformaldehyde Piperazine (BSPF) Polymer

A solid mixture of piperazine (16 mmol, 1.38 g) and paraformaldehyde (33mmol, 0.962 g) was dissolved in 15 mL DMF and stirred for 30 min to forma first solution. Bisphenol-S (8 mmol, 2.00 g) dissolved in 15 mL DMFwas then added to the first solution. The mixture was then stirred in anoil bath at 90° C. for 24 h. A white solid appeared when the reactiontemperature reached 40° C. that was observed to turn beige in colorafter 2 h. The beige solid was collected and washed with water andethanol several times, then dried at 65° C. under vacuum until aconstant weight was achieved (3.26 g, 75%) (FIG. 1 ). Elemental analysisfor BSPF: C (%), 56.16; H (%), 6.44; N (%), 10.84; S (%), 6.37.

(ii) Synthesis of Melamine, Paraformaldehyde, Piperazine Cross-LinkedTerpolymer (MPF)

A solid mixture of piperazine (30 mmol, 2.58 g), paraformaldehyde (60mmol, 1.80 g) and melamine (10 mmol, 1.26 g) was dissolved in 25 mL DMF.The solution was stirred at 90° C. for 24 h. A beige colored resinousmaterial was observed after stirring for 5 h. The solid product wasfiltered, washed with acetone and ethanol several times and dried at 65°C. under vacuum until a constant weight was achieved (3.92 g, 77%) (FIG.1 ). Elemental analysis for MPF: C (%), 46.37; H (%), 7.23; N (%),34.82; S (%), 0.0.

Example 3 Characterization of Cross-Linked Polymer: IR Spectroscopy

The cross-linked polymers were found to be insoluble in acidic, basic,polar and nonpolar solvents. Their solid FT-IR spectra were recorded andpresented in FIG. 2 . Spectra of BSPF revealed the presence of a broad,strong band at ˜3430 cm⁻¹ due to —OH and —NH stretching vibrations[Brunovska Z, Liu J P, Ishida H.1,3,5-Triphenylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine—Active intermediate andprecursor in the novel synthesis of benzoxazine monomers and oligomers.Macromol Chem Phys 1999; 200(7): 1745-52, incorporated herein byreference in its entirety]. Moreover, the symmetric and asymmetricvibrations of S═O were assigned to bands at ˜1130 cm⁻¹ and ˜1290 cm⁻¹[Al-Hamouz O C S, Ali S A. Aqueous two-phase systems of pH-responsivePoly[sodium (diallylamino)methylphosphonate-alt-sulfur dioxide]cyclopolymer with Poly(oxyethylene). J Chem Eng Data 2013; 58(5):1407-16, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety]. The C—Nabsorption frequency was assigned to the band at ˜1460 cm⁻¹. Spectra ofMPF revealed the presence of two stretching vibrational bands at3418-3469 cm⁻¹ resulting from the free secondary amines of the melaminemoiety in the terpolymer. Aliphatic C—H stretching vibrations from thepiperazine rings and the CH₂ linkages were assigned to the bands at2877-2937 cm⁻¹. The C═N stretching vibrational frequency appeared at1555 cm⁻¹. Aliphatic C—N stretching was assigned to the peak at 1464cm⁻¹ [Akintola O S, Saleh T A, Khaled M M, Al Hamouz O C S. Removal ofmercury(II) via a novel series of cross-linked polydithiocarbamates. JTaiwan Inst Chem Eng 2016; 60: 602-16; and Azarudeen R S, Subha R,Jeyakumar D, Burkanudeen A R. Batch separation studies for the removalof heavy metal ions using a chelating terpolymer: Synthesis,characterization and isotherm models. Sep Purif Technol 2013; 116:366-77, each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety].

Example 4 Characterization of Cross-Linked Polymer: NMR Spectroscopy

Solid state ¹³C NMR spectra were obtained using a Bruker WB-400spectrometer with a spinning rate of 10 kHz and shown in FIG. 3 . Theassignment of peaks and spectra confirmed the proposed structures ofeach polymer. The peak at ˜80 ppm (d-peak of MPF) revealed the formationof a triazine ring in MPF. The peak at ˜130 ppm in the spectrum of BSPFis attributed to the aromatic bisphenol-S [Rego R, Adriaensens P J,Carleer R A, Gelan J M. Fully quantitative carbon-13 NMRcharacterization of resol phenol-formaldehyde prepolymer resins. Polymer2004; 45: 33-8; Chuang I S, Maciel G E, Myers G E. Carbon-13 NMR studyof curing in furfuryl alcohol resins. Macromolecules 1984; 17: 1087-90;and Chutayothin P, Ishida H. Polymerization of p-cresol, formaldehyde,and piperazine and structure of monofunctional benzoxazine-derivedoligomers. Polymer 2011; 52(18): 3897-904, each incorporated herein byreference in their entirety]. Additionally, tertiary aromatic a-peak andsecondary-cyclic and acyclic e- and f-peaks exist in both polymer types.

Example 5 Characterization of Cross-Linked Polymer: TGA and DSC

The thermal properties of the synthesized polymers were investigated byTGA and DSC (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)revealed that BSPF has a higher thermal stability as their thermaldegradation starts at ˜370° C., compared to MPF, which shows lowerthermal degradation temperature at ˜230° C. Thus the presence of thebisphenol-S moiety increases the thermal stability of cross-linkedpolymers. This was confirmed by the differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) measurements as depicted in the thermograms (FIG. 5 ). Theelevation in the glass transition temperatures (T_(g)'s) from 150° C. ofMPF to 350° C. of BSPF polymer is consistent with the trend of thermalstability observed in TGA data. Together, these results support theproposed crosslinking patterns illustrated in FIG. 1 . In addition, theobserved elevation in Tg values and its correlation with the movabilityand flexibility of polymer chains are consistent with previouslyreported polysulfone systems [Dennis J M, Fahs G B, Moore R B, Turner SR, Long T E. Synthesis and characterization of polysulfone-containingPoly(butylene terephthalate) segmented block copolymers. Macromol 2014;47(23): 8171-7, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].

The DSC thermogram of BSPF shows a few exothermic peaks during theheating process (indicated with ellipses in FIG. 5 ) until T_(g)-valuesare approached. These exothermic peaks could be attributed tosolid-solid conformational changes to the direction of forming morestable solid conformers upon approaching the melting or glass transitiontemperature. This further supports the predicted cross-linking in theBSPF polymer, which could be attributed to a solid-solid conformationpolymer transition. The results are in good agreement with the reportedDSC-conformations of a series of biphenyl liquid crystalline molecularsystems [Morsy M A, Oweimreen G A, Al-Tawfiq A M. Electron paramagneticresonance and Ab initio structural studies on liquid crystallinesystems. J Phys Chem 1998; 102B: 3684-91; and Oweimreen G A, Morsy M A.DSC studies on p-cyanophenyl p-(n-alkyl)benzoate liquid crystals:Evidence for polymorphism and conformational change. Thermochim Acta1999; 325(1999): 111-18, each incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety]. Also, the DSC-thermogram patterns of these polymers appearedto be irreversible processes. The complexity of these patterns of theMPF polymer could be correlated with its instability, which isattributed to the absence of flexible aliphatic fragments. As reported[Baranek A D, Kendrick L L, Narayanan J, Tyson G E, Wand S, Patton D L.Flexible aliphatic-bridged bisphenol-based polybenzoxazines. Polym Chem2012; 3(10): 2892-900, incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety], the presence of rigid aromatic segments in BSPF cross-linksreduces the complexity in their DSC-thermograms.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the surface area and the XRD results of thecross-linked polymers. The analysis revealed that BSPF cross-linkedpolymer is mesoporous in nature and has a higher surface area of 57.6m²/g, while MPF is considered to have a macro-porous character with asurface area of 19.1 m²/g. The surface area isotherms provide valuableinformation as it agrees with the high efficiency of BSPF in the removalof lead ions from aqueous solutions [Sing K S W, Everett D H, Haul R AW, Moscou L, Pierotti R A, Rouquerol J, et al. Reporting physisorptiondata for gas/solid systems with special reference to the determinationof surface area and porosity (Recommendations 1984). Pure Appl Chem1985; 57(4): 603-19, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed that BSPF is amorphous innature which confirms the presence of solid-solid conformationaltransitions observed in its DSC pattern. The XRD pattern indicated thatMPF is semi-crystalline in nature, which is in good agreement with theDSC results that revealed the absence of solid-solid conformationaltransitions.

Example 6 Adsorption Experiments

A design of experiment (DOE) was created to investigate and evaluatevarious experimental factors including polymer type, pH of the solution,concentration, and temperature and their interactions on lead ionsremoval with 95% confidence limit. The DOE is considered moreinformative than one-variable-at-a-time experimental procedures sincethe latter does not give any indication of the interaction between thefactors. In this analysis, the adsorption-determining factors arepolymer type (MPF=0, BSPF=1) of 30 mg suspended dose, pH (3, 5, and 7),lead ion initial concentration (0.2, 2.6 and 5 ppm) and the adsorptiontemperature (298, 318 and 338 K). The low and high levels of pH wereselected as 3 and 7 because at pH>7 lead ion removal can be accomplishedby concomitant precipitation and sorption at a fixed time for eachexperiment of 30 min. The low and high levels of the lead ion initialconcentration were selected to simulate real industrial wastewatersamples. The percentage removal of the lead ion with each polymer undercertain conditions is the response variable in this study. The type ofdesign was a 2-level factorial (default generators) with the fullfactorial design option that was carried out by using generated data inTable 1 following the same adsorption process described above.

TABLE 1 Design matrix of the factorial design and their correspondingparameters Factor Low level (−1) High level (+1) (A) Polymer type −1 +1(B) pH 3 7 (C) Lead initial concentration (ppm) 0.2 5 (D) Temperature(K) 298 338 (C) Lead initial (A) (B) concentration (D) Percentage RunPolymer pH (ppm) Temperature (K) removal (%) 1 1 7 0.2 298 99.7 2 −1 35.0 298 2.8 3 −1 7 0.2 338 99.6 4 1 3 5.0 338 44.9 5 0 5 2.6 318 31.8 6−1 3 0.2 298 66.6 7 1 7 5.0 298 33.8 8 1 3 0.2 338 42.0 9 −1 7 5.0 33854.6 10 0 5 2.6 318 38.2 11 −1 7 0.2 298 99.6 12 1 3 5.0 298 25.5 13 1 70.2 338 99.7 14 −1 3 5.0 338 42.0 15 0 5 2.6 318 40.0 16 1 3 0.2 29896.9 17 −1 7 5.0 298 42.5 18 −1 3 0.2 338 33.7 19 1 7 5.0 338 55.2 20 05 2.6 318 39.9

Example 7 Efficiency of Lead Removal (Adsorption Experiment)

The adsorption performance of the prepared polymers was evaluated as perthe following procedure. A 5 ppm stock solution of lead ions wasprepared by diluting a 1000 ppm lead standard solution with an acidifieddistilled water containing 0.1 M HNO₃ to avoid any concomitantprecipitation of lead in hydroxide form. Several parameters have beenexamined for the adsorption experiment. This experiment was conducted ontwo levels. The first level was via factorial design that covers themost important four factors namely, polymer type, pH, temperature, andlead loading, and will be discussed in details in factorial designsection. The second level is focused on the dose or mass of thesuspended polymer. For the second level, a series of 20 mL acidified 0.2ppm lead solution containing a specified amount of mechanically crushedBSPF polymer of 20-60 mg was prepared in a suspension form. The averagesize of the suspended polymer was ˜2 μm in diameter as shown in thescanning electron microscopy (SEM) images using TESCAN LYRA 3 equippedwith an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A,and 9B show EDX-elemental analysis results and images of suspended BSPFpolymer before and after the adsorption of lead ions.

For the adsorption part, the suspended acidified mixture of leadsolution was equilibrated by shaking at a fixed temperature in a waterbath shaker at a contact time of 30 min. After equilibration, theadsorbent was separated from the solution and the residual concentrationof lead in the supernatant liquid was identified by ICP. The surfaceplot in FIG. 10 summarizes the percent of lead removal versus doses ofsuspended polymer of 20 to 60 mg in mass at a specific temperaturewithin the range of 298-340 K. The results indicated that the bestremoval of lead was obtained by a dose of 30 mg of the suspended polymerat 338 K.

Example 8 Factorial Design

FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C depict the factorial design plots, includingmain effects plot, Pareto chart, and normal plot. FIG. 11A indicatedthat between the tested polymers (MPF=0, BSPF=1), BSPF shows a higheradsorption efficiency. The adsorption efficiency was higher in asolution with pH at 7 than solutions with pH<7. Increasing the initialconcentration of lead decreased the adsorption efficiency, indicating aneed for evaluating the impact of concentration and polymer dosage.Generally, it is necessary to use larger amounts of the polymer toprovide enough sites for adsorption as the initial concentrationincreases. As shown in FIG. 11A, the influence of temperature was notsignificant, implying that the polymer can function under differenttemperatures. FIG. 11B depicts a Pareto chart indicating the mostsignificant parameters that influence the adsorption efficiency areinitial concentration and pH. Another factor is the interaction betweenthe initial concentration and temperature, which indicates that theremoval efficiency increases by increasing the temperature at higherinitial concentration. An additional significant factor is theinteraction between initial concentration, pH and temperature, whichsuggests that at high initial concentration, the removal efficiencyincreases by increasing pH and temperature. FIG. 1C depicts astandardized effect of the parameters. It is observed that increasingthe initial concentration had a negative effect on the adsorptionefficiency while increasing the pH had a positive effect. From thefactorial design, we can conclude that conditions for better removalinclude a low initial concentration, high pH and a slight increase intemperature. It also suggests a superior affinity of BSPF towards leadions, which could be attributed to its highly active functionalities inthe crosslink and larger pores.

Example 9 Wastewater Treatment

To evaluate the efficiency of the synthesized BSPF cross-linked polymertoward lead ions removal, adsorption tests were conducted for realwastewater samples spiked with 3 mg/L lead ions. Based on the DOEresults, BSPF cross-linked polymer was selected for this wastewatertreatment analysis conducted by mechanically shaking 20 mL wastewatersample and 30 mg suspended polymer for 30 min at 338 K. Table 2 showsthe ICP results of the water sample before and after the treatment.

TABLE 2 Industrial wastewater from Dammam second industrial city (SaudiArabia) spiked with 3 mg/L lead ions before and after treatment withBSPF. Before After treatment Percent Metal treatment (μg/l) (μg/l)removal (%) Pb (spiked)  2690 ± 0.438 2.228 ± 0.438 >99.9 Cd  0.73 ±0.213 0.711 ± 0.213  ~2.6 As 95.32 ± 7.077 22.78 ± 7.077 ~76.1 Zn <MDL<MDL <MDL Cu 20.07 ± 9.235 25.36 ± 9.235 <MDL Ni 39.38 ± 4.275 21.38 ±4.275 ~45.7 Co 2.504 ± 0.405 1.366 ± 0.405 >45.4 Mn 6.632 ± 1.215 3.782± 1.215 ~43.0 Cr 125.6 ± 3.594 30.81 ± 3.954 ~75.5 Mean and standarddeviation of three replicates (n = 3) ± values are the method detectionlimit (MDL), 3σ of the blank sample.

The results revealed a superior efficiency ranged from 50% to 100% ofthe synthesized cross-linked polymer in the removal of toxic metal ionsin real wastewater conditions. BSPF almost completely removed highconcentration of lead contamination (˜99.9%) in the spiked wastewatersample. This efficient removal was supported by the EDX analysis resultsand SEM-images of the polymer, which showed all expected isotopes oflead in these samples after adsorption took place as illustrated inFIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, and 9B. These results prove that BSPF could beutilized as an industrial adsorbent for wastewater treatment.

1: A crosslinked polymer, in the form of a Mannich polycondensationproduct, comprising reacted units of a first monomer of formula (I)

or a solvate thereof, a stereoisomer thereof, or a mixture thereof;melamine an aldehyde of formula (III)

wherein: m is 2 or 3; and n is 2 or 3; wherein the crosslinked polymerhas X number of repeating units of formula (IV); wherein X is 2 to10,000; wherein * represents an amino site of an additional melaminering;

2: The crosslinked polymer of claim 1, wherein the molar ratio of thefirst monomer to melamine is in the range of 1.5:1 to 5:1, and the molarratio of the aldehyde to melamine is in the range of 2:1 to 10:1. 3:(canceled) 4: The crosslinked polymer of claim 1, wherein m and n are 2.5: The crosslinked polymer of claim 1, wherein the first monomer ispiperazine. 6-8: (canceled) 9: The crosslinked polymer of claim 1,wherein the crosslinked polymer exhibits a semi-crystalline structure.10: A method for removing a heavy metal from an aqueous solution,comprising: contacting the aqueous solution having an initialconcentration of the heavy metal with the crosslinked polymer of claim 1to form a mixture; and filtering the mixture to obtain an aqueoussolution having a reduced concentration of the heavy metal compared tothe initial concentration. 11: The method of claim 10, wherein thecrosslinked polymer has an average particle size of 1-10 μm in diameter.12: The method of claim 10, wherein the heavy metal is an ion of atleast one heavy metal selected from the group consisting of Pb, Cd, As,Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, and Cr. 13: The method of claim 10, wherein theheavy metal is Pb(II). 14: The method of claim 10, wherein the aqueoussolution has a pH in the range of 1 to
 7. 15: The method of claim 10,wherein the initial concentration of the heavy metal in the aqueoussolution ranges from 0.1 mg L⁻¹ to 50 mg L⁻¹. 16: The method of claim10, wherein the crosslinked polymer is present at a concentration in therange of 0.1-10 g per liter of the aqueous solution during thecontacting. 17: The method of claim 10, wherein the crosslinked polymeris contacted with the aqueous solution for 0.1-12 hours; and the aqueoussolution has a temperature in the range of 10° C. to 80° C. 18:(canceled) 19: The method of claim 10, wherein greater than 40% of atotal mass of the heavy metal is removed from the aqueous solution. 20:(canceled) 21: The crosslinked polymer of claim 1, consisting of thefirst monomer of formula (I), melamine, and the aldehyde of formula(III).